Before the Storm - Michael P. Kube-McDowell [127]
She touched his hand. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want this.”
“Hold on just a moment,” Han said, pulling back from her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I can’t change commanders on them again, not twice in a week, not under these circumstances. You’ve been out there with them for two months now. That gives some continuity, at least.”
“Right idea, wrong man,” said Han. “If it were me, the first thing I’d do is hand the Fifth back to General A’baht.”
“How can I do that? He was disloyal to me.”
“Was he? He disobeyed your orders, but is that the same thing as being disloyal? Did he do what he did for personal gain? Did he do it to enhance his career, or aid the enemy? No. He was trying to protect all those people out there with him, and all the people back here, too. And hell, Leia—he was right. He ought to get some points for that.”
“You said it yourself,” she said stiffly. “He disobeyed my orders.”
“He disobeyed an order you never should have given,” Han said. “And if that’s your reason, you’re going to have to disqualify me, too. That prowler that picked up Plat Mallar—what do you think it was doing out there?”
She realized she had never asked herself that question. “I guess I assumed it was Admiral Drayson’s handiwork.”
“You weren’t paying close enough attention,” Han said. “That’s a Fifth Fleet prowler. I sent it there.”
“You?” Leia said, and her eyes flashed anger. “I don’t understand. Is it because I’m a woman? Is that why lately everyone seems to treat my orders like suggestions?”
“Aw—blast, no, Leia. I keep telling you the uniform doesn’t fit me very well,” he said. “I’m just as bad at following orders from men. I always have been—you know that. Look, I was there. You weren’t. I did it on a hunch.”
“How do you explain General A’baht?”
“Why don’t you ask him?” Han parried. “But remember this—before he came to Coruscant, General A’baht was the senior military commander of the Dornea. He was accustomed to a greater degree of autonomy than we grant our Fleet commanders. He answered to his own conscience. I happen to think he was tremendously loyal to you—not least in the way he accepted his demotion. You could do a lot worse than to ask him to come back.”
“How can I? I humiliated him in front of his crew, his command.”
“If you think what you did changed how they felt about him, you’ve forgotten the rules of the game,” Han said. “What you did changed how they felt about you. Give them back their commander. They won’t have anything worse to say about you than they’re already saying. You might even win back a couple of points.”
“What should I say?”
“You don’t have to say anything, not to them. Send the Fifth Fleet back to Farlax under General A’baht’s command, and they’ll get the message,” Han said. “Leia, only weak leaders never admit to mistakes. Strong leaders don’t need to pretend to be infallible. Just fix this. There are bigger problems to chew on.”
She glanced up at the map of Koornacht, then studied the backs of her hands. “I have Bail Organa’s stubborn pride,” she said quietly. “It’s hard for me to admit when someone else was more right than I was.”
“If you weren’t headstrong, you wouldn’t be my Leia,” Han said with a crooked, affectionate grin. “You’re staying on, then? No resignation.”
“I can’t leave this mess for someone else,” Leia said. “I’m going to have to take the responsibility for it. Nil Spaar wouldn’t have done this if he hadn’t been sure that we would let him. That I would let him.”
“You’re not responsible for his miscalculation.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re not going to let him.”
“Oh,” Leia said. “Do you know where General A’baht is?”
“He came back with me in the skiff. He’s probably over in the Fleet dormitories, expecting to be court-martialed. The Fleet Office will know.”
“I’d better go see him,” she said, gathering her feet under her. “I’ll call on the way over.”
“You’re doing the right thing,” Han said. “I’ll hang out with the kids till you get back.”
“Thanks.” She kissed him quickly and started to leave,